


The Explicit Power Rangers: Connection

by DCMarvelGirl1997



Series: The Explicit Power Rangers [1]
Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers, Power Rangers (Boom! Comics)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:02:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29725959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DCMarvelGirl1997/pseuds/DCMarvelGirl1997
Summary: After coming into contact with a cosmic power source, the events of Power Rangers unfold very differently. Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Zack, and Trini notice changes to their bodies and minds, which affect them physically, mentally, and sexually. Watch as they explore the fruits of their newfound powers, and deep relationships form as a result.
Relationships: Jason Lee Scott & Trini, Kimberly Hart/Tommy Oliver
Series: The Explicit Power Rangers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2184675
Kudos: 3





	The Explicit Power Rangers: Connection

**A/N:**

**Greetings! DCMarvelGirl1997 back with another side project, written in collaboration with my dear friend, MarvelMaster616. This is a story exploring mature, coming-of-age themes centered around the Power Rangers. In terms of timeline, it takes place sometime before the Rangers get their powers and become connected to the Morphin Grid. And my inspiration behind it partially came from the 2017 movie and the recent comics. My thought was to reimagine the Power Rangers from the ground up, giving them all new, all different backstories.**

**I want to thank MarvelMaster616 for helping me with developing this idea. I do not know how far I'm going to take this new series, but it'll depend on the feedback I receive from people, so reviews and constructive criticism are highly encouraged. However, I do wish to warn that this story _will_ have some sexual content to it, hence the title "explicit," so if you aren't of age to view this kind of material, press that back button on your browser, as this is made only for mature audiences. **

**I plan for updates to take place once every two weeks on Mondays, or perhaps once a month. I'm still deciding upon that.**

_**'This here means psychic communication and inner thoughts.'** _

**I hope you all enjoy this more mature, darker take on the Power Rangers.**

**Excelsior!**

**DCMarvelGirl1997**

* * *

**Issue 1: Homecoming**

**Angel Grove High School**

**Football Field**

“Let’s go, Angel Grove! Let’s go! Let’s go, Angel Grove! Let’s go!” 

The joyous cheers of encouragement from the Angel Grove Wildcats echoed throughout the football field. It being the night of the homecoming game, all students were in attendance. But head cheerleader, Kimberly Hart, had her eyes set on the football team’s quarterback, Hunter Gavin. 

Standing on the sidelines, she watched with a grin on her face as Hunter prepared to run the ball towards the end zone. Clapping her hands together, she jumped higher in the air as she shared a grin with her co-captain and close friend, Kat Hillard. 

“He’s gonna make it!” she squealed in excitement, practically clutching at Kat’s hand who squeezed at it. 

Kimberly could hardly contain her excitement, keeping her eyes on the score. So far, Angel Grove was in the lead, right before halftime. A win at homecoming would mean a huge victory for their small town – a town where most dreamed of making it out. 

It being one of the smallest towns in southern California, Kimberly wasn’t confined to that mentality. In fact, she had her own hopes and dreams of what she would do upon making it out of Angel Grove. It only being her sophomore year, she had huge ambitions for making it into the Olympics for gymnastics. Everyone in town was so certain she would be accepted to go to boarding school in Florida to train under Gunther Schmidt. It was only a matter of when that would happen. 

_“She has great potential, Mrs. Hart,”_ her gymnastics coach had told her mother one year. _“Her talent could take her far into the Olympics. Imagine what that would mean for us.”_

And she knew that her classmates clutched onto that same mentality. While most of their parents were working class people who barely made enough to pay for their kids’ cars, the high school kids dreamed of what it would be like to live anywhere else. And Kimberly’s boyfriend Hunter was no exception. He talked about wanting to play football for Princeton University, like most of his teammates. 

And as Kimberly kept her eyes on Hunter, she watched in anticipation as the handsome quarterback quickly passed the ball to the running back, Zack Taylor. Zack then ran at least ten feet before passing the ball to the linebacker, Jason Lee Scott, who then passed it over to Hunter. And as Hunter ran past the players on the opposing team from Mariner Bay, Kimberly’s heart raced even faster. 

Clutching harder at Kat’s hand, she said, “Oh, my God! Kat, feel my heart! I can’t take it!” 

Kat smiled softly at her, pressing a hand over Kimberly’s chest. Like Kimberly said, her heart was racing with anticipation as she practically bounced on the balls of her feet. 

“Relax, Kim!” Kat told her in that soft Australian accent of hers. “If you don’t, you’ll give yourself a heart attack!” 

“Not the first time you told me that,” Kim said, rolling her eyes as she watched Hunter make it closer to the end zone. And as soon as his foot touched the patch of green, Kimberly let out a loud scream, shrill enough to make Kat’s ears bleed. Kat had to cover her right ear as she winced. 

“Remind me to send you a bill for hearing aids, Kim,” Kat said, laughing as Kimberly let go of her hands to rush towards Hunter, who pumped his fist in halftime victory. And as soon as she was close enough, the small brunette launched herself at her boyfriend proudly, practically throwing her legs around his waist. 

Hunter caught her around the waist, his arms wrapping around her tightly. And as Kimberly locked her arms around his neck, her forehead pressed against his as one of his hands moved to tangle in her long, thick dark hair. Looking into his green eyes, she pressed a deep, passionate kiss to Hunter’s lips, practically crushing her mouth against his. 

And Hunter responded just as passionately. In fact, he even dared to crush his lips even harder against hers, slipping her a lot of tongue. Their tongues intertwined messily as their noses grinded against one another. However, they were distracted from their moment when Jason Lee Scott passed them, rolling his eyes and elbowing Hunter in the shoulder. 

“Hey, get a room, you two,” he said, annoyed. 

“What’s your problem, Jason?” retorted Hunter. 

“Nothing,” Jason replied, shaking his head. “Just don’t get pregnant, you guys.” 

Kimberly rolled her brown eyes hard as she jumped down from her boyfriend, following Jason. 

_‘What’s with his attitude?’_ she thought. _‘I know he doesn’t like Hunter and I dating. But he’s taking it to a totally different level!’_

Kimberly felt annoyance rush through her. Her relationship with Jason Lee Scott was complicated, to say the least. Their parents being best friends, Kimberly always saw Jason as a surrogate brother. Growing up, he was constantly there for her. He’d been the one of the individuals she’d gone crying to when her parents announced they were divorcing, and he’d offered her a shoulder to lean on. Ever since then, he swore to protect her, especially since when they were younger, Kimberly was so timid that just someone talking to her would cause her to cry. 

But somewhere between sixth grade and seventh grade, Kimberly grew fiercely independent after visiting her police officer uncle in New York City. A summer’s worth of street fighting-style self-defense training later, Kimberly no longer needed Jason’s protection. She grew to be so confident, that she developed a strong “fuck you” attitude towards those who used to pick on her. She’d developed a sass that no one expected from the town’s star gymnast. She was no longer that frail little girl who would cry whenever the teacher would call on her for an answer. But sometimes, Jason still saw her as a delicate flower that constantly needed protection. Perhaps it was because he constantly protected her countless times from mean girls and other bullies when they were children. 

But there were still times Jason treated her like a baby. And this was one of those moments. And as her annoyance quickly turned to anger, and she moved to step in front of Jason, blocking his path. 

“What the hell is your problem, Jase?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“I don’t have a problem, Kim,” retorted Jason. “I just think you made the wrong choice when –”

Kimberly groaned loudly, rolling her eyes hard. “Do _not_ go into that lecture again, Jase! I get it. You hate him.” 

Jason sighed. This wasn’t the first time Kim accused him of being jealous of Hunter. He loved Kimberly. Not in _that_ way, but as a sister. And while he was bitter that Hunter and Kim’s blossoming relationship led to Kim pulling away from him, he wasn’t jealous at all. In fact, Hunter was someone he outright despised. He’d paid witness to how Hunter would treat girls . . . how he would get popular cheerleaders to give him blowjobs in the locker rooms and how he would give preferential treatment to other female classmates. He was dirt at the bottom of Jason’s shoe, as far as he was concerned. And although Jason tried telling Kim this, she didn’t listen. She never believed it, anyhow. So, she rebelled and decided to date Hunter anyway, even though Jason warned her so many times that he was no good. 

“I don’t hate him, Kim,” Jason insisted, his tone contradicting his words. “I just think he isn’t the right one for you.” 

“You’ve been saying that since he asked me out the beginning of last spring,” said Kimberly. “When are you gonna let me grow up?” 

“When you start making better choices,” said Jason, shaking his head at her as suddenly, someone tapped Kimberly on the shoulder. Turning around, Kimberly saw the school’s newspaper editor and resident tutor, Billy Cranston, standing there. 

“Um, Kimberly?” he asked her timidly. “I need your and Hunter’s picture for the yearbook.” 

Kimberly nodded. “I’ll be right there,” she said, giving Billy a polite smile. Turning to Jason, she quietly added, “I _do_ make good choices!” 

“Really?” asked Jason. “Because I see you taking the same path your mom did when she dated your dad in high school. They got married right after graduation and the next thing you knew; he cheated on your mom with his twenty-five-year-old secretary. And I don’t want to see you making those mistakes because –”

Kimberly shot him a harsh glare, her brown eyes turning stony as she growled, “Bring up my parents again, and I’ll –!” 

“Kim! Babe! Let’s get this picture over with!” Hunter called to her. 

Kimberly sighed heavily. “We’re not finished,” she said coldly, turning on her heel and walking towards her boyfriend, who waited impatiently for them to take the picture. But in that moment, she was in no mood for yearbook photos. 

She knew Jason to be overprotective, but this was taking it too far. Plus, Jason bringing up her parents’ divorce left a sour taste in her mouth. He always seemed to play that card whenever he wanted to protect her. Bringing up her parents’ past mistakes was his way of reminding her not to do the same. But Kimberly Anne Hart was a stubborn girl with a lot of fire and passion. And in turn, it left her very determined to take her own path. As a result, it led to her and Jason distancing in their friendship, in that he had such a lack of faith in her. 

_‘I’m not made of glass, for Christ sake!’_ thought Kimberly, exasperated as she stood next to her boyfriend, putting on her fake plastered smile as Billy prepared to take the pictures. _‘Maybe Jase is just jealous, seeing that I’ve grown up. He sees I no longer need him. And as a result, he’s trying to cling on. But if he doesn’t stop, it’ll affect Hunter and I’s relationship. And it’ll be on him!’_

Smiling as brightly as she could, Billy’s camera clicked and the light flashed as their pictures were taken. 

“Exquisite,” Billy commented, walking away from the pair. But before he could fully walk away, Hunter walked up to him. 

“Cranston, we need to talk, now,” said Hunter, a coldness there that Kimberly didn’t hear, but made Billy tremble slightly. 

“Alright,” said Billy as Hunter led him away towards the space underneath the bleachers while Kimberly and the other cheerleaders prepared for their halftime routine.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

Jason Lee Scott huffed in annoyance as he took a sip of his water. Groaning, his thoughts wandered to Kimberly, whom he felt in his gut was making poor choices in regards to dating. 

Watching Hunter kiss Kimberly so forcefully didn’t sit well with him at all. From the rumors he heard, Hunter wanted more from Kimberly than just a casual relationship. He wanted something deeper and more physical. The problem being, Hunter was seventeen and a senior in high school, whereas Kimberly was just a fifteen-year-old sophomore. The thought of Hunter even _touching_ Kimberly like that left the teenager sick to his stomach as he clenched his fists. 

_‘I know for a fact he flirts with freshman cheerleaders behind Kim’s back,’_ he thought. _‘Why don’t I say anything? Because Kim is in such a Goddamn haze, she wouldn’t believe me. She’s so clouded in this fantasy of Hunter being a great guy. But I know he’s no good. Dammit! Why the fuck didn’t I stop this sooner? Oh, I know why! Because Kim accused me of controlling her.’_

Rolling his eyes, Jason felt his teammate and best friend, Zack, coming to sit beside him. 

“Let me guess, man? Kim’s on your mind?” asked Zack. 

“What do you think?” retorted Jason. “You know Hunter’s scum on the Earth. He sees Kim as a prize to be won. And his idea of winning is sleeping with her. The thought of Kim losing her virginity to _that_ guy? It leaves me so . . .” 

“Pissed?” Zack offered sympathetically. 

“Yeah, that’s the word,” said Jason. 

“I’ve known her almost as long as you, Jase,” Zack said. “You cannot try controlling her. That outrages her.” 

Jason shot Zack an incredulous look. “And what if she ends up getting hurt? What should I do? Keep my mouth shut? Watch it all unfold?” 

“No, I’m not saying that. But she chose him. And she needs to learn the hard way. It’s the only way she’ll learn,” said Zack. 

“And you expect me to be okay with that?” 

“No, you don’t have to be. But all you should do is just be there for her, whether she wants it or not. Support her in any way you have to. Because you know you can’t change her mind. But the very least you can do is just be there.” 

Jason nodded, sipping his water again. “You’re right, Zack. Thanks.” 

“Anytime, my man,” Zack said. “What are brothers in arms for?” 

“Helping put things into perspective,” said Jason, sipping his water once more as he watched Kimberly and the other cheerleaders perform their routine. Kimberly was light as a feather on the field, her body moving gracefully as she did a back handspring and a cartwheel. Zack was right. He couldn’t control Kimberly. But he would always be there for her and look out for her whether she liked it or not. He had to allow her to make her own choices, even if they were choices he didn’t necessarily agree with. 

But before he could focus on watching Kim’s cheer routine, he heard an angry, yet hushed voice, speaking from underneath the bleachers. 

“Cranston, where the fuck are my test answers?!” 

“I told you before, Hunter. I will not detriment my integrity to facilitate you in misappropriation. You desire a satisfactory score on your upcoming exam? You accomplish that on your own accord.” 

“But if I don’t pass this school year, I’ll never make it into Princeton!” 

“Studying is a solution to that. Don’t knock it until you’ve attempted it.” 

“Cranston, come on! How much do I need to pay you? One-hundred bucks?” 

“I don’t accept briberies. I refuse to give you the answers!” 

That was when Jason’s ears picked up on the sounds of someone being slammed against metal. Narrowing his eyes, he knew it was Hunter. Only Hunter would stoop so low as to intimidate and harass students who acted as peer tutors into giving him test results. And Billy Cranston, who tutored Jason regularly in Geometry, was Hunter’s favorite target to pick on. It didn’t help that Billy was a relatively thin, small kid who wore thick-framed glasses. And Jason witnessed plenty of occasions where Billy took harassment at the hands of members of the football team, as well as the high school’s two, resident punk bullies Bulk and Skull. And each moment, Jason said and did nothing. 

Jason always considered himself someone who did the right thing, even if his actions were imperfect. He hated seeing others being stepped on. But he always wondered why he never bothered standing up for Billy. Perhaps, it had to do with him being hot-tempered. And over time, when one did something that infuriated him, he left it to stew until it rose to the top. It was this aspect to his personality that provided him a lot of passion. And that passion was good for being a team player on the football field, learning karate, and putting his whole heart into his friendships. 

But that passion also proved to be destructive, and had caused him to get into several brawls with people as a child. It was especially a problem in elementary school where he would get into confrontations with Bulk and Skull, who went out of their way to antagonize him. As a result, his father sent him to a local karate instructor who taught children at the Youth Center Gym and Juice Bar, who helped Jason get in control of his temper. 

_“Karate isn’t used to cause injury to others. It’s used for a practice in patience and self-control. Words are more powerful than fists, young man.”_

Those words echoed in Jason’s mind. He used that piece of wisdom he’s attained for why he didn’t get into physical confrontations. But he also used that as an excuse for why he didn’t stand up for others. More than anything, it left Jason feeling like a real ass for never standing by his principles when it came to sticking up for Billy. 

But in that moment, Jason felt sick to his stomach with anger. He may not be able to stop Kimberly from dating that douchebag. But he _could_ stand up to Hunter and put an end to the quarterback’s abuse towards those below him. He’d always hated bullies. And Hunter was no exception. Rising from his seat, he spared Zack a glance. 

“I’ll be right back, man,” he said, before making his way towards behind the bleachers. Only when he went back there, what he saw left him in disgust. 

Before his eyes, he saw Billy crumpled underneath Hunter, who kept one hand on the blonde, blue-eyed teen’s throat as he punched him in the nose. The movement caused Billy’s glasses to break and blood to splatter across his face as Hunter roughed him up, using the hand on Billy’s throat to slam him into the grass. 

Jason felt a pang of anger rush through him, but also sympathy on Billy’s behalf. He knew, much like almost everyone in town, that Billy didn’t come from good money. And those thick-framed glasses he wore were the cheapest he could get, as regular frames and contact lenses couldn’t be afforded even with insurance. It also didn’t help that Billy was raised by a single father who worked odd jobs just to put food on the table. And Jason knew, because their fathers and Zack’s father worked together at the shipyard. While Jason didn’t know much about the kid, he did know he didn’t like the thought of Billy getting put through this. 

“Hunter, back off,” Jason said heatedly. 

Hunter turned around, surprised to see Jason standing there. As far as Hunter knew, Jason only went to Billy for homework help. It never seemed as though Jason cared much about what happened to the kid. But looking at Jason, Hunter saw his teammate was through. Even Billy looked surprised by Jason’s words. 

“What do you care for this dipshit, Scott?” he asked. 

“Not much,” shrugged Jason. “But I’m not a fan of ganging up on the little guy, either. So, how about we settle this peacefully?” 

“I’ll settle it when he gives me the test answers!” spat Hunter. 

“Did you try studying and going to tutors? I heard that works wonders,” Jason said, narrowing his eyes as he stalked towards Hunter to pull him off Billy. 

“Piss off, Scott!” Hunter nearly yelled. 

“And how would Kimberly feel when she sees you beating up peer tutors? I bet you’re afraid she’d dump your ass when she sees how pathetic you really are. Face it, Hunter. You’ll never be good enough for Kim. And you keep going at it like that? You can kiss the Ivy league goodbye,” Jason said angrily. 

The mention of Kimberly stoked Hunter’s fire. The thought of Jason bringing Kim up caused his eyes to narrow even more. He kept a firm grasp on Billy’s throat, slamming his head into the ground once more. Billy responded by spluttering, blood spitting past his lips. 

“I told you to piss off!” Hunter snapped. 

“No! _You_ piss off!” Jason yelled, walking over and grabbing Hunter by the shoulders, shoving him off Billy before shifting into a defensive stance. It was known around school that Jason was a blackbelt. And while he recalled his sensei’s words about “only using it in self-defense,” in that moment, he couldn’t care less. 

With that in mind, he positioned his body so he could elbow Hunter across the face. But Hunter blocked his move by grabbing his arm, wrenching it. Jason, however, was prepared, raising a leg and kneeing Hunter in the balls, hard. Hunter let out a yell of pain before Jason planted a harsh punch to his eye. The blow was enough to get his head slamming into the metal of the bleachers, rendering him unconscious. 

Billy just laid there, taking this all in. Never before had he had anyone stand up for him, unless it counted Trini Kwan. Billy didn’t even know Jason well enough. So, to see Jason stepping up and doing the right thing left the blonde teen astonished. 

Wiping the blood from his nose, he spit a couple times into the grass as he tried rising to his knees. Rubbing the back of his head, Billy heard pounding footsteps rushing towards them. From the shadows, Trini appeared, looking anxious. Her brown eyes widened with concern as she rushed towards Jason. 

“Jase! What are you doing?” she yelled, only when she got a glimpse of Billy, she understood why. Her blood ran cold as she took in the sight of Billy looking so disheveled. 

But Jason was too absorbed in pounding Hunter’s face in, he barely registered that his friend was right there. But before he could aim another punch at Hunter’s eye, Trini stepped in front of him and blocked him. She grabbed his wrist and twisted it slightly in her firm grasp, her deep brown eyes staring into Jason’s penetratingly. 

“Jason, he’s not worth it,” she said. 

“Trini, you know what a scumbag this guy is!” seethed Jason. “Do you see what he did?!” 

“I do!” Trini said. “But don’t you remember? Kaplan _will_ give you double detention! He’s going to know you did this! You were lucky the first time!” 

Jason, still glaring at Hunter scornfully, let out a growl of resentment. Trini was right. This wasn’t the first time he got into a physical confrontation with Hunter. Over his years, Jason had learned to keep his hot-headedness under control. But Hunter found ways to get Jason to lose his temper. He remembered it so clearly. 

_‘This is disgusting. Do they_ ever _pull apart for air?’_

_These thoughts stewed in Jason Lee Scott’s mind as he sat there in the cafeteria, annoyed as hell. He tried stomaching his tuna sandwich, but his stomach twisted in a huge knot. Looking over at Zack, his friend gave him a glance of both sympathy and understanding._

_Jason’s fists clenched and unclenched as he stared off across the cafeteria at the cheerleaders’ table, where Hunter Gavin sat. It wasn’t so much Hunter sitting with the cheerleaders that annoyed him. It was about_ whom _he was sitting with._

_Kimberly Anne Hart sat there under Hunter’s arm, wearing his letterman jacket and laughing at something he said. She was seated with her closest girlfriends, Katherine Hillard – the blonde foreign exchange student from Australia – Aisha Campbell, and Aisha’s step-sister, Tanya Sloane. But what left Jason so pissed was the way Hunter looked at Kim._

_He could have sworn Hunter was looking at Kim with an undeniable lust. He heard the rumors that Hunter was no good, and that he did not have good intentions for Kim. He could hardly eat, especially with the way Kim seemed to be sucking out Hunter’s tonsils through the deep kiss she gave him._

_“I think I’m gonna be sick, guys,” he groaned as his friend, Trini Kwan, sat across from him bearing her own lunch of Vietnamese curry over rice._

_Through the course of freshman year, Trini had become a strong shoulder for Jason. While Kim slowly rose in popularity and pushed him away as she gained attention from the juniors and seniors, Trini extended an olive branch and offered him her friendship. It helped that they were next door neighbors and that Trini was one of the school’s science tutors, because she helped him with biology labs. He knew Trini took advanced classes and she was already on the path to being their senior class’s valedictorian._

_“Look away, man,” said his teammate, Rocky DeSantos, sliding into the seat next to him bearing a double cheeseburger, fries, a cup of frozen yogurt, an apple, a bag of chips,_ and _a side salad. The boy could eat an entire elephant if put to the challenge. That was especially since every other month on Fridays, it was enchilada day. And whenever that day rolled around, he_ bolted _into the cafeteria to make sure he got there first._

_“If you keep staring, it’ll last longer,” Rocky said, sympathy evident in his voice._

_“And you’re okay with watching this?” Jason asked, exasperated as Rocky’s close friend from the boys’ soccer team, Adam Park, joined them._

_“No,” Rocky said. “If Hunter did that with Aisha, I’d be sick, too.”_

_Jason nodded. A lot of people knew how Rocky felt towards Aisha. He’d been friends with her since they were five years old. And if someone touched Aisha like that, they would get the kiss of death – or as Rocky called it in Spanish – beso de muerte._

_“Same with Tanya,” added Adam, whom almost everyone knew had eyed the girl since she moved to this town after her mother married Aisha’s father. “But Kim made her choice. And you have to accept that either way.”_

_“That doesn’t mean I like it,” Jason said behind clenched teeth as Trini took his hand gently into hers. Her gentle touch brought a small ounce of calm through him. But it only helped somewhat. He was still pissed._

_“You’re right. You don’t,” she said in agreement. “But that doesn’t change the fact that Kim’s with him now. I know she’s like a sister to you, Jason. But you cannot make her choices for her.”_

_Jason continued to seethe, shaking his head as he begrudgingly ate a bite of his sandwich. He grew especially angry when he saw one of Hunter’s friends from the eleventh-grade shove Billy Cranston to the ground, causing the kid to trip and spill a tray filled with food. But Hunter and Kimberly were too busy sucking face to notice._

_But Rocky noticed, shaking his head in anger. Jason knew Rocky hated Hunter and his friends just as much as him, if not more. And seeing Hunter’s friends go out of their way to harass Billy left the half-Mexican teen plenty pissed._

_“Hijo de puta!” (1) Rocky hissed, spitting hard as he rose out of his seat to help Billy out._

_But Jason saw pure red as he watched Hunter’s hands move farther down than Kim’s waist. And upon seeing Hunter’s hands touching Kim’s ass, that was when Jason lost it._

_He wasn’t even sure when he got up from his seat. It felt as though he’d blacked out, because the next thing he knew, he’d tackled Hunter to the floor and started pounding into his face. And he made sure to scream a slew of curses at the older teen, spitting in his face a few times._

_“TOUCH HER LIKE THAT AGAIN, YOU’RE FUCKING DEAD! YOU MOTHERFUCKER!” he roared._

_He barely felt Rocky and Zack’s hands grabbing him to pull him away. He was so enraged in that moment, the only thing he cared about was making sure Hunter didn’t touch Kim like that. He only got brought out of it when he felt Trini taking his face into her hands, stroking his cheeks with soft fingers._

_“Jase,” she whispered, her voice calm, cool, and relaxed despite the fearful look in her eyes. “Calm down. Please, you need to stop.”_

_He remained glaring at Hunter and struggling in Rocky and Zack’s grasps, even as Trini kept on stroking his face. Her gentle touch and calming presence only did so much._

_“Jason, man, he’s not worth it,” said Rocky._

_“We’re not gonna let you make an ass of yourself,” Zack added, but he felt mad when he saw Kim taking Hunter’s side, kneeling next to her boyfriend in concern._

_Zack understood better than anyone how much this was hurting Jason. Jason did nothing but try to look out for Kim and her best interest. And Jason was hurt because he felt she didn’t appreciate him or the friendship they’d shared for years. She’d essentially pushed him out of her life in favor of Hunter._

_“Kim,_ why _are you so concerned for that pig?” spat Jason. “He should_ never _have touched you like that. Why would you let that happen?”_

_Kimberly glared at Jason, tears of resentment shining in her eyes. She knew Jason didn’t like Hunter very much. But she never thought he would embarrass her like this._

_“I don’t need your protection,” she said angrily. “I’m not made of glass, you know? Why don’t you just back off, Jason?”_

_Jason felt anger rush through him as she said that. It stung, knowing that Kim was pushing him away from her like this. But he barely had time to add anything to his argument as Principal Kaplan came into the cafeteria, wearing a harsh glare on his face._

_“Mr. Scott,” he said. “Come to my office, now.”_

_Jason knew in that moment he was in deep trouble. Looking at Kim as she tearfully tended to Hunter, he felt so sick that Kim was choosing that jerk’s side. She was so blind, that she didn’t see what a prick Hunter Gavin was. He could only hope and pray that one day, she would learn._

_He just hoped she wouldn’t learn the hard way._

Jason stood there, shaking slightly as he got brought out of the flashback. That day when he first beat up Hunter, Principal Kaplan had given him detention and warned him that if he were ever caught doing that again, it would be a week’s worth suspension followed by two Saturday morning detentions. And looking at Hunter, who lied there unconscious, he knew without a doubt what would end up happening. Looking at Trini, he felt his face going pale as Billy rose to his feet, still wiping the blood from his mouth and nose and holding his broken glasses. 

“Jason . . . we better call 9-11,” Trini said shakily. “He’s unconscious and I think he might have a concussion.” 

“But . . .” Jason started to say. But Billy and Trini already knew the answer. 

“It’s best you face the consequences,” Billy said. “You should tell Kaplan the truth, and do what you must.”

Jason felt a lump in his throat. He would be lucky if Kim would be willing to speak with him again. Swallowing hard, he looked towards Billy incredulously. 

“After what he’s done to you?” he asked. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Billy said, shaking his head. “Just do the right thing, Jason. Please.” 

Jason nodded, swallowing hard again as he looked at Trini. “Go get the coach,” he whispered. 

Trini nodded, running off to find Jason’s football coach and explain what happened. Though Jason knew he was in deep trouble for what had happened tonight. However, Billy had more to add. 

“That being said,” Billy said, still wiping his nose as blood kept gushing out. “It was rather valiant of you to do what you’d done. Not many people here have bothered to stick up for me.” 

Jason looked towards Billy. He saw an indebtedness there in the teen’s eyes; something he would forever remember. 

“No problem,” he said, swallowing again as he prepared for what his punishment would be.

* * *

**Later That Night**

**Scott Household**

**Jason’s Room**

_“You shouldn’t have done that, Jase. You are in the mierda (2),”_ said the voice of Rocky DeSantos.

Jason’s stomach twisted into knots as he lied there on his bed that night. Upon his father picking him up from the high school, his dad scolded him for what he’d done. In addition to being suspended for a week and needing to serve double detention on Saturdays, his father grounded him. 

He wasn’t allowed to go to the Youth Center to teach his karate lessons to the local elementary school kids. That meant, he had to have Trini and Rocky cover his lessons. And on top of that, he wasn’t allowed to have anyone over or be on the phone. He was grateful his mom was asleep, his dad went back to work at the shipyard, and that his little sisters Rose and Claire were away at a sleepover. His sisters wouldn’t hesitate to tattletale on him for speaking on the phone with Rocky. 

But when Rocky called, he knew he had to answer. If Rocky had an answer regarding Hunter’s condition, Jason needed to know. 

“Rocko, I know I fucked up,” Jason said, keeping his voice at a whisper. “Just please let me know this: is Hunter going to be okay?” 

_“Adam and Zack are at the hospital with Kim and Kat,”_ said Rocky. _“Adam called and explained Hunter has a minor concussion, and that he should recover in about a week. You’re lucky. You could have put the guy in a coma.”_

“It would have served him right,” grumbled Jason. “He’s a creep, Rocky! You saw what he did to Billy tonight over wanting a cheat sheet! Is Kaplan going to punish him for that?” 

_“From what I heard, Kaplan will make Hunter serve a Saturday detention when he gets out of the hospital,”_ said Rocky. 

“At least he’s not getting away with it without consequence,” grumbled Jason. “But it’s screwed up _I_ got the worst punishment.” 

_“I know. It’s unfair,”_ Rocky said. _“But you need to take this punishment in stride.”_

“That’s what I intend to do,” Jason said. “But how is Kim?”

 _“She’s pissed at you,”_ Rocky replied tensely. _“She never wants to talk to you again. She told me and Adam that. I want to say it’s because she’s just upset. But it sounded like she really meant it.”_

“I know Kim,” said Jason. “She’s pissed over it. But eventually, she’ll realize I was looking out for her. Besides, it didn’t feel right knowing Billy was getting put through that.” 

_“I hope so. And I hope her having seen Billy’s injuries puts things into perspective for her,”_ Rocky said. _“I’ll hang up, man. I know you shouldn’t be on the phone with me.”_

“I’ll talk to you when my dad ungrounds me,” Jason said. “Bye, man.” 

Rocky hung up on the phone, and Jason leaned back against his bed, groaning. He hated that his attempts at doing the right thing led to this. But for so long, he went against his principles and allowed Hunter to get away with harassing those below him. He still couldn’t forgive himself for allowing it to go on as long as he did. 

Rolling his football in between his knees, Jason closed his eyes as he lamented on all that occurred that night. After a year of putting up with Hunter’s crap, he finally had enough and decided he was done. 

_‘This is such bullshit. Hunter gets to get away with his bad behavior. Yet he never got held accountable until now. I hope he learns to take responsibility for himself. But I doubt he will. He’ll never change. And Kim’s going to see that sooner or later.’_

As he sat there with his thoughts, he heard a soft knock at his bedroom window. Turning to his balcony, he saw Trini standing there. Obviously, she’d climbed up the side of his house. Rising from his bed, he quickly went to his window and opened the door. 

“Trini! You’re not supposed to be here!” he hissed. “If Mom and Dad catch you here –!” 

“I know. But I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” she said, moving to place her hands on his shoulders. “Is Hunter alright?” 

“He’s in the hospital with a mild concussion. It’s believed he’ll make a quick recovery,” said Jason, sighing. 

Trini sighed in relief. “Thank God,” she whispered. 

“What about Billy? Is he okay?” 

Trini nodded. “He’ll be okay. He just needs to get new glasses and he needed his nose reset. Apparently, Hunter did a real number on him.” 

Jason closed his eyes, he allowed Trini’s presence to soothe his fire. Only Trini could have that effect on him. She was a presence of calm and harmony, always managing to use reasoning and logic and proving to be very diplomatic. It made her the perfect counterpoint to Jason’s hot-headedness, and she proved to balance him. They were the living definition of a yin and yang. Trini often called their friendship a perfect storm. 

“I know you don’t like him,” she said. “And I know he’s a real jerk. But you cannot let him get to you, Jase. Remember what Sensei Tony told us in karate class when we were kids?”

Jason nodded. “Words are more powerful than fists,” he said. 

“You’ve gotten better with it over the years,” she said, cupping his face in her hand. 

“I know. And that’s something to be proud of. But tonight proved I still have issues with control.” 

Jason heaved a deep sight as Trini pulled him into a firm hug. Jason sunk into her embrace, allowing her to just hold him close and soothe him. Her hand rubbed up and down against his back in gentle patterns. 

“And I know that it came from concern and love for not just Kimberly. It had been for Billy, too,” Trini told her, cupping the back of his head in her hand. 

Jason nodded in agreement. “I just hope Kim would forgive me.” 

“She will. Even she can’t stay mad forever,” Trini assured him softly.

* * *

**Angel Grove General Hospital**

**Hunter’s Hospital Room**

_‘I can’t believe Jason did this,’_ thought Kimberly as she sat at the bedside of her boyfriend, who lay there unconscious. She hoped and prayed that he would wake up. Knowing Jason had knocked Hunter unconscious left her in anger and disgust.

 _‘Actually, I can totally buy him doing this. He flipped out last year shortly after Hunter and I began dating!’_ she continued thinking. _‘I can take care of myself! I do not need his protection! When is he gonna get that through his thick skull?’_

Squeezing at Hunter’s hand, her eyes stung with tears. She was humiliated that Jason cost Angel Grove the win for the homecoming game, and that he’d beaten up her boyfriend in the middle of her cheerleading routine. It had caused her to lose her concentration and she ended up dropping Tanya, who’d been at the top of the pyramid. As a result, Tanya was suffering from a broken leg, and she wouldn’t be able to compete for the rest of the school year. 

Of course, Tanya was devastated, as were the other girls on the cheer squad. Tanya being their best flyer, the team would hardly be able to function without her. Aisha was especially upset that her step-sister wouldn’t be able to compete with them in the regionals. But Kimberly took it the worst. 

It left Kim plenty pissed. 

Sighing, she wiped her eyes, but more tears just kept on falling. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a soft hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Zack standing behind her. 

“How’re you holding up?” he whispered. 

Kimberly let out a sniffle, still trying to wipe her eyes. “What do you think, Zack?” she asked bitterly. “Jason ruined the whole night. And now we’re down one cheer team member. You saw what happened out there! It was humiliating! Tanya’s especially embarrassed!”

“Kim, I know you may feel that way, but Jason didn’t mean any harm in what he did,” said Zack. “You know him better than I do. When he sees something unjust, it takes a lot for him to stand back. But what Hunter did to Billy tonight, that was the last straw for him.” 

“Oh, please,” Kim said angrily, reaching for tissues to wipe her eyes. 

“Look, I know you may not see it, but Jason _really_ does have your best interest at heart,” Zack insisted. “And do you want me to be honest? When Hunter asked you out, I wasn’t happy, either. Like Jason, I thought he wasn’t the right one. And I never saw him treating you the way you should be treated.” 

Kimberly shook her head. “And I chose him. Get over it!” 

Zack sighed. He knew even he wouldn’t have much luck getting through to Kimberly. Much like Jason, he didn’t want to see her make the same mistakes her parents did. He knew right now; Kimberly was only seeing in Hunter what she wanted to see. She didn’t see what a self-absorbed prick Hunter happened to be. 

“I know, you chose him,” Zack said. “But it’s hurting Jason, because he thinks you’re picking Hunter over him. He’s your best friend. He does care about you, a lot.” 

“Well, I don’t care. I never want to see him again!” 

“You’re just saying that because you’re upset over what happened tonight,” Zack insisted. “You don’t really mean that.” 

Kimberly crossed her arms over her chest, stubbornly. She knew Zack was speaking the truth. But she couldn’t bring herself to accept it yet. She didn’t care what Zack or Jason thought of Hunter. Whenever they were together in public, he put her on a pedestal in front of everyone. That was far more than what her father had done for her mother. So, for Jason to compare her and Hunter’s relationship to that of her father and mother, it left her infuriated. 

But before Kimberly could say anything else, she heard a soft grunt of pain coming from Hunter’s bed. Watching as his eyes fluttered open, she felt stark relief rush through her that at least Hunter hadn’t fallen comatose. Rising from her seat, she moved to sit on the bed as she took Hunter’s hand back into hers, stroking his knuckle. 

“Baby? Can you hear me?” she whispered. 

“Hnn . . . Kim?” grunted Hunter, his eyes opening slowly. “Ungh . . . my aching head!” 

“Try to stay awake. You have a concussion,” Kimberly whispered, stroking his cheek. “How badly does your head hurt?” 

“On a scale of one to ten? Twenty,” Hunter groaned out. 

“Aww, you poor baby.” 

Kimberly leaned over and kissed his forehead as Zack exited the hospital room, shaking his head. Kimberly would continue to be blind in this puppy love she had for Hunter and never see what a true jerk he really was. He wondered what happened to the Kimberly he and Jason once knew before she and Hunter began dating . . . the Kimberly who didn’t tolerate others being treated like they were below her. He could hardly believe Kimberly refused to acknowledge what Hunter had done to Billy. 

_‘She’s changed, and not for the better,’_ thought Zack. _‘I hate this. What happened to her? She’s lost and she’s pushed away those who’d been good friends for almost her whole life. We’d done nothing to her. She did this. And she needs to realize that sooner or later. Because if she doesn’t, she’ll lose us forever.’_

* * *

**Angel Grove Shipyard**

**Docking Station**

“David, come over here!” said Sam Scott, coughing slightly as he got hit with the strong, decaying smell. “It smells like something died here!”

David Cranston sighed heavily, walking over to where his coworker was. Sweat cascaded down his forehead and his dirty blonde hair stuck to his face. Wiping some sweat from his brow, David took a sniff of the air and knew Sam had reason to be concerned. 

The putrid smell of something rotting in the air hit him hard. He was so glad his son was back at home, safe and hopefully in bed. After hearing about what happened that night from Sam, David was especially infuriated about what happened to his son. Knowing Hunter Gavin had caused physical harm to the eldest of his two sons left the single father seething. But he knew he couldn’t think about that. 

“What is it, Sam?” he asked. 

“I don’t know. But I know the smell is more than just rotten fish or the sea,” Sam said, shaking his head as he opened the cabin door on one of the boats closest to the ocean. “It came from down here.” 

“I hope it’s nothing serious,” said David. “I’ve got so much to worry about with the boys.” 

“I heard about what happened with your son,” Sam said, his tone sympathetic as he brandished a flashlight. “I’m sorry about that.” 

“He never said anything to me. Ever since his mother died, Billy’s been trying so hard to be strong and not worry me. He does a lot to help me with Bryan, but I wish he’d let me take the load of his shoulders,” said David, shaking his head as he followed Sam down to the cabin of the boat. But as they walked down the stairs, the putrid smell intensified in the atmosphere. 

“Shit!” gagged Sam, coughing hard. 

“Tell me about it!” gasped David. “Now I know what you mean. It _does_ smell like death!” 

Sam coughed a little harder, trying his hardest not to start vomiting. Looking over at his coworker, David even looked queasy. But as they ventured further down the boat’s cabin, they stopped in their tracks at the sight of a body, which was decaying away slowly. Flies surrounded the dying body. But upon looking at it, both men instantly felt sick to their stomachs. 

They recognized the decaying body as Evan Taylor, one of the many men who worked at the docks. What made it worse, his son was Zack Taylor, one of the star football players at Angel Grove High School.

“Evan,” whispered Sam. 

“Dammit,” whispered David. “Who’s going to tell Iris and Zackary?” 

“I don’t know,” Sam said, shaking his head. “All I know is, Iris is going to be devastated. I don’t want to imagine how her son will react.” 

David sighed heavily, his eyes closing in grief for his deceased co-worker. But as he and Sam ventured further through the boat, they stumbled across an unconscious form lying on the floor of the boat. 

The body was one of a woman, but she looked ghastly. She was chalk white and very pale, breathing quiet, hoarse breaths. Her face was so pale, dark veins appeared across her face. Her long, paper-thin black hair stuck to her like a second skin. She was soaking wet, and seemed to be suffering from hypothermia. To make matters worse, she was completely nude and her eyes were only open a slither.

“Holy shit,” whispered David, kneeling before the woman. “Ma’am? Can you hear me? Do you need a hospital?” 

“Where . . . Where am I?” the woman croaked out. 

“You’re at the shipyard of Angel Grove, California,” said David, reaching a hand out and touching her shoulder. “Do you need medical attention?” 

“Can you tell us your name, ma’am?” asked Sam anxiously. 

“Rita,” the woman rasped. 

“Okay, Rita. Is there anything we can do to help?” David asked. 

Rita seemed to take a moment or two to come to her senses. She groaned deeply, extending her hand forward weakly as she looked at David. There was an intensity in her emerald green eyes as she stared at him. 

“Yes, you can,” she whispered, her hand extending even more towards David’s forehead. “I’m so weak . . . I need _something._ And you . . . your brilliant mind, wasted. So beautiful . . . yet so shameful. I can fix that.” 

With that, she touched David’s forehead. But upon feeling her cold fingers touching his head, David felt something cold rush through him. His eyes widened in shock as a strange sensation filled his mind . . . as though his very brain were being sucked out of his head. Before his eyes, he saw little lights popping before him as he grew very dizzy. He tried to escape this woman’s touch. But her grip was like an iron vice, rendering him unable to move as he let out a quiet moan of terror. 

“No . . . Nooo!” he moaned, his voice coming out as a whimper as he grew even dizzier. “The light . . . where is it?” 

“David?” Sam asked anxiously. 

“Already feeling better . . . oh so much better,” whispered Rita, letting out a small, yet dark, chuckle as she watched David slowly lose every inch of his sanity. And as she slowly sucked it out, she watched with a grin as David collapsed to the ground, clutching his head and moaning out loud. 

“David? David?!” Sam yelled, rushing to his co-worker’s side as Rita slowly rose to her feet. 

“That’s better,” Rita commented, a vile smirk on her lips. “Now . . . all that’s left to do is find the Zeo shards.” 

Sam didn’t know what this woman was saying, but looking in David’s eyes, he looked so far away and so afraid of something irrational. He turned to glare at Rita. 

“What the hell did you do to him, you witch?!” he yelled. 

“He helped me serve my purpose,” Rita said simply, walking past them. “And it won’t go to waste.” 

Sam wanted nothing more than to run after this woman as she found the inner strength to leave the boat’s cabin. But he couldn’t think about her or what else she was doing. He had to figure out what was wrong with David, who lied there before him moaning loudly and looking absolutely terrified. 

“David? David can you hear me?” he called out. 

David only replied with slurred moans of terror, twitching in his grasp. 

“Oh, shit!” Sam gasped. “Come on, David! Don’t do this! Remember your kids! You can’t leave Billy and Bryan alone! They already lost their mother they can’t lose you, either!” 

But David couldn’t seem to comprehend that. He just kept looking off with that faraway glance, moaning incoherently and slurring. Sam felt his panic rushing through him as he began to scream at the top of his lungs. 

“SOMEBODY! HELP!”

* * *

**Translations:**

**Spanish to English**

**1\. Hijo de punta**

**Son of a bitch**

**2\. Mierda**

**Shit**

**Up next: Connection to Power**


End file.
